Cherishing You As Always - Chapter 29

No wonder she was being entangled by others. If I were a man, I think I would also fall into her trap. A gentle and tempting trap.

The heat on my body made me uncomfortable. I happened to notice there was water in the basin. Without thinking, I used a small bucket to scoop some water and poured it from my head to my feet.

After the coolness hit me, I couldn’t help but laugh, “Feels good.”

She stood up, furrowing her brows and said, “We worked hard to bring this water up. Don’t waste it.”

I then remembered how hard it was to get water at the academy. I chuckled awkwardly, “Don’t mind it so much. It’s hot right now, isn’t it? Aren’t you hot too? Come, let’s cool off together.”

Saying this, I put my hand into the basin and, this time, directly scooped water with my hands to pour it over her.

Her clothes got wet. She picked up another small bucket, pretending to be angry and said, “You really waste a lot.”

With that, she walked over with half a bucket of water from another basin, saying, “Come here, let me pour it on you.”

I didn’t go over. I waved my hand and said, “You want me to come over just like that? I can’t lose face.”

Her face turned red, and she quickly walked over to me, and when I lowered my head, she poured the small bucket over my head.

Water poured down from my hair, and I heard her laughter beside me, “Now I came over. Haha, now we’re even.”

I didn’t plan to let her off that easily. I took the small bucket off my head and threw it aside, grabbing her shoulder and smirking, “Hehe, even? It’s not that simple.”

With both hands, I embraced her, and before she could react, I lifted her and threw her into the water basin.

I saw her let out a light scream as she surfaced from the water, her snowy-white skin shining like satin, and her black hair slicked back. Her small lips let out a mouthful of water.

I splashed water at her, “Haha, do you dare to splash me again?”

She wasn’t polite and splashed me back. I laughed, continuing to splash water at her, watching her smile. I noticed our hands inadvertently touching and suddenly remembered a saying.

“Hold hands, and grow old together.”

Without stopping, we played in the water happily. Eventually, she pulled me into the basin.

One person is too big, but two fit just right. The water basin was big enough for the two of us.

I carefully covered her eyes and grabbed her hair, afraid that she might scream out because of my closeness.

One hand touched my chest. I suddenly remembered the red satin ribbon I had bought a few days ago, still tucked in my clothes. At that time, I intended to give it to her.

Her laughter filled the entire backyard. I pulled her close, and in her surprised gaze, I snatched away the coarse cloth that was tied around her hair.

Her long hair fell into the water, looking even more enchanting. She looked at me in confusion, faintly asking, “What’s wrong?”

I tossed the cloth far away and pulled out the bright red satin ribbon from my clothes. Holding it in the palm of my hand, I asked, “Do you remember this ribbon?”

Her deep eyes reminded me that she remembered. I placed the ribbon into her hands. The breeze picked up, and the red string wound around us. We almost simultaneously grabbed each other’s hands, fearing the ribbon would blow away.

The red thread wrapped around us, and I suddenly felt a sense of vulnerability, an unfamiliar fear spreading through my heart. I quickly untied the ribbon from my hand, climbed out of the basin, and calmly said, “This is for you.”

Not daring to look at her, I took a few steps away and turned my back to her. I didn’t want the sunlight to shine on her and make her too dazzling, because if I saw it, I’d lose control.

After playing in the water for a while, we were both soaking wet. At this point, perhaps her hair, which had been spread out, was drying in the wind. Her white clothes clung to her body, revealing a hint of transparency.

I glanced away, not wanting to think too deeply. Maybe women need to have some modesty too.

Her voice came from the side, and I couldn’t help but turn my head to look at her. She was wringing out her wet hair and asked, “Why are you giving this to me? I remember you liked it too.”

As she said, I did like it. But at that time, I was just curious, not really wanting it. She, on the other hand, really wanted it. A gentleman doesn’t take what others love; he only helps others get what they want. Though I’m not a gentleman, I still understand this principle.

“Don’t ask, just think of it as a gift from me. We’ll be friends from now on,” I said loudly, my tone firm, not allowing her to reject me. I knew she wouldn’t refuse me. After all, she was such a gentle woman.

She smiled, her gentle aura returning, no longer cold or distant like before.

“Don’t you mind me? After all, I was once in a brothel. Last night, I even hurt you. The night before, I scared you.”

There are many things about her that I don’t understand. But my intuition tells me she’s a good person. Hurting me or scaring me wasn’t her intention.

Seeing her happy while playing in the water earlier, I knew she wanted to laugh with us, just like everyone else. But everyone’s life is different. She’s always been bullied by others, losing her smile along the way.

I hope that my presence can make her brighter. After all, I don’t want a friend who’s always crying or hiding from people.

What is a friend? A friend is someone you instantly recognize as trustworthy. Perhaps when I saw her for the first time, I knew we would become friends, which is why I proposed living together, why I bought the things she liked, and why I wasn’t afraid of her hurting me.

“I’m not that narrow-minded. In any case, I consider you a friend. What about you? If you consider me a friend, take the gift. If not, you can leave. A month later, I’ll move out as you said, and I won’t bother you again.”

I waited for her decision. She clenched her clothes, seemingly struggling.

I scratched my head and said, “What’s there to hesitate about? I won’t hurt you. I just want to be friends. Are you really going to reject someone who genuinely wants to treat you well?”

She bit her lip without speaking, then took a small step back before standing still. She raised her eyes, meeting mine, “Let me be your close friend? Aren’t you afraid that I will keep bothering you and drag you down?”

What a woman who thinks too much. I had never considered the idea of trouble or dragging someone down. I didn’t understand why she thought so far ahead. Things should be dealt with as they happen, no need to worry about them now.

“Sister, what are you thinking? Do you really think you can only bring me trouble?”

Plain clothes life.